Follow up

As many who know me personally and professionally, I'm a mix of traditional and modern. Not just in my design work, but also in the way I approach life. And like many professionals, the computer is a tool that we can't live without. But it's not our only tool.

I often discuss the importance of making a connection, in a traditional way. That we're bombarded with constant contact and the ability to reach someone in a fraction of a second. A phone call doesn't go through in a second and we think there's something wrong. An email goes unanswered for a few hours, HOURS! and we go nuts.

To center myself and disconnect/reconnect I took up yoga a few years ago. And before long, I found myself working with a variety of health and wellness companies as well as Yoga Studios.

And while I love being connected to a virtual yoga world through facebook, I was pleasantly surprised when after taking one class from a new studio, I received a hand written letter. ON STATIONARY. And with a card. And I thought, now that's a way to make a connection.

Here's hoping that 2012 brings you some great connections.

New ways to reinforce your brand

I've noticed a trend that companies are use some less than traditional ways to market. Using humor, personality, and a sense of community, traditional print and now even traditional online marketing are not the only options. And while my own personal design philosophy is not the in your face style of guerilla marketing (check out some amazing ideas), I love an opportunity to reinforce a company's presence in ways that really reflect the business and people who work with them.

Take for example these laptop skins, recently designed for SWC Technology Partners. Instead of just plastering a logo and web address, which so many companies do, they wanted to focus on the individual who uses them. We came up with a list of some fun questions that each employee would answer, as well as supplying three photos. We converted the pictures to black and white, for a more uniform look, knowing that the quality and style of images would vary from person to person. We also played with the tagline, adding people to the front. Putting people before business, technology, success says a lot about the company. And they company they keep.

Visualizing Your Company: The Branding of Yoga

An overview from the Yoga Journal Conference presentation: Visualizing Your Company: The Branding of Your Business

A hot button for some, the business of yoga is a much discussed topic in magazines, journals and blogs today. While some are bothered with the commercialism and recent popularity, others argue over whose yoga is better. But I'm going to step away from all that. Because that's not my business. My business is branding, with a special emphasis on health and wellness companies. And what I see is competition.

Along with the huge boom and popularity comes a marketplace flooded with options. Which is fantastic for the students. More styles, teachers, times, and studios to choose from then ever before.

But what about if you own the studio? How do you "compete" for clients? A word often shunned in the practice of yoga, but necessary when talking about your business. Any business.

The reality is, with all the social media out there, websites, and daily deals, how do you not only survive but thrive?

Ask yourself the following questions. And then move on. After all, it's yoga.

Websites are often the first introduction someone has to your studio. Does it accurately reflect your space and what you have to often? When you enter the site, is it a place of calm or chaos? How are you using color? Are you using photography? And if so, does it reflect that kind of classes you offer. Nothing can scare off a new student like seeing someone on the home page in an advanced pose. But if that's what you offer, than go ahead and show that.

Are you using social media? Building a community in the studio is one place. But getting online is a great opportunity to keep your students (and new potential students) up to date on classes, promotions, etc. And all it costs is time. Take photos of events, share, and promote. Get people excited, even when they can't make it to a class. It's a great way to stay connected. Start a dialogue. Ask for feedback. Create a space that people can come to as a resource.

Email marketing is another fantastic way to keep your students up to date. But be careful. Don't send them out to often. To much, and you might just risk going right into the trash box.

Daily Deals. What can I say but be careful. While for some companies it's a great opportunity to create awareness in a market that can target a huge population that otherwise wouldn't know about your studio, you also risk the possibility of getting those students that will not return. And watch how much you discount. Keep in mind that many of the daily deal sites are negotiable with the terms.

Podcasts & youtube are great ways to keep your students practicing, even when they can't make it in. All you need is a video camera and the ability to upload file from your computer. While it will never replace going to a physical space, like all the above suggestions, it's meant to keep your students connected. Even if it's virtual.


For something to think about, check out this video.
http://winterandconstruction.com/journalvideo.html
winter and construction design: design grounded in strategy

When it's time for your own refresh

refresh is now all white

All brands evolve, even those that specialize in creating them.  So recently I became my own client.
And I went through the same process that I go through with my clients. What's working, what's not. What I like, what I don't. Who my audience is. And quiet a few more conversations that take place when you're looking to make a change in the way you present your company.

For me, a big part of my own evolution was pure and simple. Readability issues on my website with a black/colored solid background. I also wanted to focus more on the work that I did for my clients, and not my own brand. I wanted my website to be clean, simple, and elegant.

So what did this mean? For winter and construction design, it meant keeping color limited, as well as streamlining the entire site. All my content is the same, but it's easier to follow, easier on the eyes. I kept to my color palette of orange and gray. And to compliment that, I used the same photography, but in black and white.

Sometimes a change is what's needed to keep moving forward. To grow. And look for more changes to come. Some exciting things are happening for us. This is only the beginning.

Looking the other way

When I work with clients, often they point to other similar businesses as a guide to how it's done within their own group as far as marketing goes. Then there was ElderOptions. As we went through the discovery process, and looked at what other agencies were doing, we went the opposite direction. While for some there is comfort in playing it safe, looking at what others are doing as a benchmark, this company choose to look the other way. They wanted their image to reflect a more intimate, personal, and positive direction. And I think they're doing just that. They really are staying true to their promise: changing the way we see old age.

Take a look at their site: http://elderopt.com/

Now take a look at the others. And ask yourself, "How do they make you feel?"

http://www.caremanager.org/
http://homecareassistance.com/lp2?gclid=CJCA7b72u6sCFQ0CQAodyhWMvA
http://www.rgcmgmt.com/

What a statement for a drink

The packaging is what first caught my eye. Then the name. And the messaging.
Enlightened. Followed by Reawaken. Rebirth. Repurpose. Redefine. Quite a lot of promise from a beverage. But who knows. I feel this way about coffee.

Does social media have an expiration date?

Google+. Amazing interface. Gorgeous I would say from a design point of view. And as a tool to organize your relationships, incredible. But I'm not ready. Not there. Still telling clients to "follow me on twitter". Over liking on Facebook, but I still have a presence. I've been more active on Linkdin lately. But I just don't have time to put into creating new lines of communication today. Not today. Today I'm busy writing thank yous. By hand, not by email. To busy thinking of campaigns that will connect a non-profit to potential fundraisers. Something that will last. A year, two. Maybe longer. As a designer my goal is to create lasting impressions. Tell a story. And when I look back, good storytelling never goes away. It just comes back in 3D.

Getting excited opening a package

At the Yoga Journal Conference I ordered a pair of Juil Sandles. First, let me say that their tag line is one of the best I've ever heard. "Awaken your soles." How perfect for a company that sells shoes. Next, let's talk about the fantastic lifestyle photography that is on all their marketing materials. From the website, brochure, to tradeshow, it's on all their communication tools. Then comes the best part. Getting them in the mail. Opening the beautiful green box, only to find not only a pair of gorgeous and comfortable sandals, but a yoga bag. What an unexpected surprise. It made me happy. And that's what a great brand does. It pulls together all these elements, from the logo, to the website, to the brochure, to the packaging, to an event, and creates an experience. It's something that as a consumer I want to share with others. Which would then make me a brand embasador. And that's ok, because I love this brand.

Blowing your brand

I am a new homeowner. My husband and I purchased a Chicago brick bungalow. It's been a labor of love working on the house. Which means we spend a lot of time at Home Depot. And I mean a lot of time. And while the prices are great, we've had some problems with service. From not finding anyone to help answer questions, to finding staff huddled together in groups talking about their night out, to not getting a person on the phone, billing issues with our account, and my personal favorite, employees who don't know anything about gardening working in the garden section.

Why am I writing about this? Because it's killing their brand. At least for me. Because when I thought of Home Depot in the past, I would think of their great radio spots. The big clean stores, their amazing out- door section, and the idea of picking out paint colors. But all that has changed. My experience these last few times has been terrible.

And that's branding. It's about the experience. The personality of your store. And connecting your clients with your brand promise. Which is interesting. Because the Home Depot promise its "You Can Do It, We Can Help" Great line. But it doesn't deliver.

Maybe I'll try Loews. There's is "Let's build something together." Let's hope they can deliver.

When your logo is misread-funny things can happen

Ok, this one had me laughing as I drove by a park this morning and saw a portable potty with the logo on the side. With a light yellow "Z" fading it read "Drop One" at first glance. Kind of funny, but probably not intentional. It should have read "Drop Zone", which is a great name for their service. Some things should be thought out more when creating a logo.

Going half the distance

I'm surprised when I get an email for an event from a retailer that announces some new store opening, a new product, or even an open house that contains a casual email, lots of images attached, and sent from an aol account. I'm surprised because it's so half way. The business realizes they can connect with a larger audience by sending out this announcement, but they don't have a website, a blog, an online store, or anything else that would support their marketing. And worse, an aol account that comes from a personal email, not the business itself. For those that don't want to engage in all that the internet has to offer, I say, to bad. That's a missed opportunity. But if you're going to go that route, why not send out something more traditional? There are so many incredible paper and invitation companies out there. From custom invitations to those that you can by at a store like Paper Source, think about the impact you may make with a direct mail piece. With any luck they may just keep that invite instead of getting annoyed by the large files you sent and putting it all in the trash.

First you're a business.

I recently was on an about section of a website. They titled it ABOUT THE BRAND. Wow. They're calling themselves a brand. The thing is, you're a company first. You're people. A brand is made up of so many things. It's a feeling. An experience. And to call yourself a brand on your own website is a disservice. It speaks that you're marketing first. Putting the experience second. In the age of being hit from every direction with some sort of marketing, I think we need to give our clients more credit.

Beyond great service

Last night I was fortunate to spend a great night with my husband at Nomi. We were at a preview night to relaunch the space. I love getting dressed up to go to one of my favorite places, and the night didn't disappoint. Not because of the food (which wasn't my cup of tea), but because of the service and elegance. From the time I got into the lovely hotel, were staff was waiting to check you in with ipads, to the beautiful space, with friendly and eager waitstaff, to the chefs preparing the food, it was service done to a whole new level. Sure it was a cocktail party, but every detail was thought of. It was packaging to a whole new level. And now when I think of the lounge, not just a name comes to mind. But the experience. Sights, sounds, tastes, even smells. A combination of the senses. And that's what great branding does. It goes beyond a logo and a name. It makes a connection. And boy, did I connect.

 

The "parting gift" was spices in a wood box, with the logo and messaging burned in. Rustic and elegant, it also contained spices and a recipe. Probably one of the few gifts I will actually keep.

Identity crisis

In a recent casual conversation I had I learned of a new yoga studio opening up. With lots of research into building the studio, they were doing the research. Sort of. The first flag was that they did not practice yoga. The second flag was that they purchased a logo online. A moment of cringing on my part I admit. As someone who takes the work of design seriously, a member of AIGA, and someone who does not believe in spec work, or contests where designers compete, I inquired how this happened. Apparently not understanding the value of marketing and design, it was purchased online. The problem was, what did they purchase? Perhaps a logo that will also be used at a studio in another state. A logo that could be sold to various individuals, with rights belonging to the company that sold it to them. No worries for them? What about if they want to expand? I'm going to take a leap that people who open a yoga studio that don't practice yoga are doing it to create a successful business. And with that, the opportunity for growth. And as you grow your business, your brand can/should evolve. It's really about finding the right words and pictures that will connect your potential new customers and clients. But you want to tell an accurate story. Like yoga, you should build from the ground up. Have a solid foundation on which to grow. And it starts with your name. And from there, an identity. Your own identity. Not the possibility of having someone elses. Which can be a problem as you grow and think about trademarking or copyrighting your logo and tagline. This is serious business. To learn more about building your brand see me at the Midwest Yoga Journal Conference

Pictured is my daughter Elli in her favorite pose, tree.

Your beauty is your hair.

Your beauty is your hair. That's a sign for a salon that I used to see in my old hood. And every time I drove past it with my husband we always laughed. Because A. I wear my hair very very short. And B. My husband is bald. So neither of us really believe much of that statement. But what I do find interesting is that in the last couple of days, appearance has been the topic of choice with two of my professional woman friends. It was in the context of how we present ourselves in our professions. And while I have to say that even though we were all in much more of the creative work sector, it's still an issue. I remember years ago when I was working at a design studio that had a rather lax dress code, that our account manager, who was always dressed to perfection, told me he didn't want to take one of the designers to a meeting because he looked like a meat head. (his choose of clothing to work was a baseball hat, tshirt and jeans. He always looked like he was about to go to a Cubs game.) I couldn't have agreed more. I think to a certain extent we all dress the part. I love the saying "dress for the job you want, not the one you have." Because it's all part of the packaging. No matter how you choose to wear your hair.

That's me sitting on a Knoll Barcelona Chair at Milwaukee Art Museum. A favorite chair of design studios and swanky hotels. My daughter took the picture and told me to look serious.

Orange. Tolix. And Al Fresco.

Somethings I cannot help but love. One is the color orange. It's my favorite for so many reasons. One being that it's bright, positive, and much more contemporary than it's close cousin red. I also love Tolix chairs. Which come from France and are designed specifically for outdoor seating. They can take abuse from all sorts of weather, children, and animals. Last week I was walking down North Avenue in Bucktown and came across these beauties. Sitting empty because it was raining, I fell in love. With the city, the idea of eating outside sometime soon, and seeing the combination together. Add it with the brick exterior, and I have to say, this is part of what makes Chicago so wonderful. And with a great martini, I can't wait to take my seat.

the difference is in the service. not the price.

The other day I went into Saks. Now, I'm not a Saks kind of woman, more like the Gap, but I wanted to check something out in the makeup department. Now keep in mind, they sell the same stuff at Macys. But I don't like Macys. The last time I was in there, the store felt empty, dirty, and had a sign that said price check for you to look up a price or something. Very Kmart of them. And I expect that from KMart. But this was Macys. And if I'm spending that kind of money, I want to also enjoy the experience. Isn't that part of why we go shopping?

So in the end, we have the same product. Same price. The difference is the level of customer service and environment between the two stores. It just makes me wonder, will there be self checkouts next at Macys? If so, why would you want to shop there at all? It's the little things (and big) that bring value to your businesses. It can also take it away.

Crass naming: Thanks for introducing my kid to new words

I heard an ad today for potato chips. What was normally something I would tune out, I found myself listening harder. That wasn't what I just heard was it? Sure enough it was. The product was called Heluva Good. And while I'm not shy when it comes to using certain words, I don't use them in business. In fact I shouldn't use them at all, but that's another story.

Isn't there more creative names for a company that don't need to use the word Hell? So I don't have my 6 year old asking for Hell chips or something to that nature. I'd like to think we as creatives can be a little more sophisticated than that.

Don't market your website if you don't have one

Now that title, as my husband would say, screams "Captain Obvious". Yet I'm still amazed at how many business owners promote their website with social media such as facebook, with a link to their website that says nothing more than "parked courtesy of godaddy.com".

That says one of three things to me:
1. That you are new. Very new.
2. That you don't know how to market. Or market very well.
3. That you rushed into promoting something that wasn't ready to be promoted.

You realized the importance of social media, and you are driving people to your site. But once there, nothing. No phone, email address or even a contact name. A missed opportunity. And also the possibility of turning people off.  It's like handing someone a blank brochure.

And you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Tell it like it is. Almost

I've noticed lately some creative titles. I saw a posting from Anthony Robbins that he had positions for "Sales Legends". Sales Team, Sales Member, Sales Force, Sales Legends. Call it what you want, it's sales. And that's what's important. What you do. Who you are. Why wrap it up in some kind of fancy packaging? Why not be direct and honest? I'd like to think people are smarter than that. That they can see through that. In a time were it seems that everyone needs a gimmick, were attention spans are shorter than ever, I suggest less is more. Make it simple. Keep it simple. And try telling it like it is.

Oops they did it again

In the quest for getting pr JCPenney decided to reinvent their brand. Along with some new designers, they also decided it was time for a logo refresh. And who better to do this then employees, students, and of course opening it up to professionals who don't want to get paid for their work.

In the end, they almost got it. Almost. And while the minimalism approach of the jcp looks contemporary, it's the second part that falls short. Because when I see their new mark, I see enney as much as I see jcp. That's to bad. Maybe they can hire someone to clean it up on isle 4.

Chiseled on a wall?

In a time that brands are looked at as more living breathing entities for multiple platforms, what I find interesting is that the logo was crafted with the thought of it “might look good chiseled into the side of the building.”

And while the final identity may have some nuanced type, the end result seems more like any one with a few fonts on their computer could have done this.

Devaluing your own brand

Every day it seems I get an email deal from the Gap. It's gotten to the point were if it's not 40% off sale, than I'm not buying it. It makes me wonder what they're thinking. Because if you keep discounting yourself, why would anyone pay full price?

Groupon, WeDeal, Living Social: If you're going to participate, get with the program

There's a lot of great offers out there. This isn't about getting half off a manicure. Or $40 worth of drinks for $20. What this is about is doing something halfway. As in, some of these businesses are putting themselves out there to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of potential clients/customers. They've already decided that the potential for new or repeat business is worth the loss leader. But what amazes me, is knowing that with the potential to reach a new client base, many of these companies don't have a website. And some that do.... Don't get me started. Stores without retail prices? Links that don't take you anyplace? These can turn people off. Don't drive them to you if it's only going to turn them away.